Work your proper hours day.....

Did you know that today is "Work your proper hours day"?

Work Your Proper Hours Day (24 Feb 2017) is the day when the average person who does unpaid overtime finishes the unpaid days they do every year, and starts earning for themselves.

From the TUC website:

"Over five million people at work in the UK regularly do unpaid overtime, giving their employers £33.6 billion of free work last year. If you're one, why not take some time to reflect on how well (or badly) you're balancing your life?

This is one day in the year to make the most of your own time. Take a proper lunch break and leave work on time to enjoy your Friday evening - You deserve it!

Long hours are not good for us; they cause stress; they're bad for our health; they wreck relationships; they make caring for children or dependents more difficult; and tired, burnt-out staff are bad for business.

We’re not saying Britain should turn into a nation of clock watchers. Few people mind putting in extra effort from time to time when it is needed, but it is too easy for extra time to be taken for granted and expected day in day out. Catch up with a friend, go to the movies, take a stroll down the park or surprise your family by getting home early. Make the most of your own time!

So what might unpaid overtime be costing YOU?

We've built a calculator that shows you how much your salary would work out if you got paid your contracted rate for all the hours you actually put in. Give it a go and you might get a shock!"

Try the calculator now!

It's sadly a pattern I see with many businesses I interact with, long hours over and above those contracted, no breaks, working lunches at best and this is kind of expected, taking proper breaks or going home on time is culturally frowned upon.

I often find when both executive coaching or seeing clients in my private one to one therapy sessions that many people are showing signs of unhealthy stress levels that if left unchecked have the potential to lead to serious ill health, both physically, emotionally and mentally.... let alone spiritually.

This coupled with poor eating habits, too much caffeine and nicotine leads to poor cognitive function, fatigue, impaired emotional response and the inability to make balance decisions.

Certainly in coaching sessions one of the very first invitations I give my coachees is to work their proper hours, eat breakfast, cut out caffeine, reduce nicotine ( or stop ), drink more water, take a lunch break away from their desk and to take just 5 minutes a days to practice mindful breathing.

The mindful breathing alone I'm told, time and time again by my coaching clients is nothing short of miraculous..... ( its generally at this point they start thinking I'm some sort of spooky witch) As they cant believe that such a simple practice daily can be life changing. Add in healthy eating, taking breaks and working more reasonable hours.... seems to stretch time.... allowing for greater creativity , productivity, engagement and a better work life balance. They begin to enjoy their work more and their relationships and family life becomes more fulfilling and happy.

Maybe this is the  perfect opportunity to mention working at home in the evening... you know checking work emails on your phone when you really should be giving your full attention to your partner, spouse or children.

How many hours of work are you racking up right there?
And at what cost? To your relationships, to your parenting ( Bink and those little humans giggling and laughing, longing to share their day or play with you, will be grown up and gone... flown the nest... in the blink of an eye)

And if you're self employed, there's no clocking on and clocking off... the lines of proper work hours can very easily become blurred.  In some ways it can be even more of a challenge.

I hope today's blog has given you a little nudge.... reminded you to get the balance right.

Never get so busy making a living, that you forget to make a life!

Happy "Work your proper hours day!"
When you are at the big end, looking back over your life, It won't be that night you stayed up late answering work emails, or staying late at the office to prepare some report that you'll remember... it will be your children's smiles, your partners cuddles of the sofa, the great time you spent with friends and the memories you built that will be recalled.


Until next time,
Make every moment count.
Lisa xxx

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